Cleaning toilet bowls is an unpleasant task in and of itself. More importantly, the multiple use of cleaning brushes, the only economically feasible option currently available for nonresidential use, renders the task more unsanitary than is desirable. This becomes a public health concern as it relates to the cleaning of public establishments, such as hospitals, hotels, schools, theaters and airports, facilitating the transmission of diseases from one toilet to the next. Although numerous toilet cleaning brushes with disposable swabs have been patented, I am not aware of any currently available on either the residential or nonresidential markets that have been a sustained commercial success.
From an analysis of prior art one might conclude that these products were too complicated for easy manufacture and/or use or were inadequate for the job, with such shortcomings as straight-on cleaning heads and swabs with one-sided cleaning surfaces or of insufficient bulk.
Nearly all required two hands to either attach or release the swab, which in part defeats the sanitary benefits of the disposable swab concept and reduces efficiency as compared to non-disposable tools.
Exemplary prior art consists of the following U.S. patents and applications: 2002/0054784, “Flushable Toilet Bowl Cleaning Brush”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,972, “Assembly of a Cleaning Device and One or More Cleansing Elements”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,620, “Brush Assembly with Removable/Disposable Head”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,771, “WC Brush with Handle and Brush Sections and Brush Storage Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,002, “Disposable Toilet Brush”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,243, “Toilet Cleaning Device with Cleaning Pad”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,713, “Toilet Mop”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,748, “Toilet Bowl Cleaning Implement”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,697, “Disposable Disintegrating Cleaning Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,634, “Implement For Cleaning or Treating Surfaces or for Applying Media to Surfaces”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,201, “Toilet Bowl Cleaner”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,836, “Cleaning Wand”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,124, “Toilet Cleaning Tool”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,038, “Handle for Disposable Brush or Mop Head”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,033, “Wiping Material and Holder”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,673, “Cleaning Device Preferably for Water Closets”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,918, “Disposable Swab and Holder”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,158, “Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Disposable Swab”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,356, “Disposable Cleaning Swab”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,614, “Holder for a Disposable Cleaning Swab”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,312, “Disposable Cleaning Swab and Holder Therefor”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,974, “Disposable Swab for Toilet Bowls”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,224, “Device for Cleaning Water Closet Basins”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,223, “Cleaning Swab for Toilet Bowls”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,085, “Cleaning Swab for Toilet Bowls and the Like”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,274, “Swab”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,861, “Cleaning Swab”.